Synchron Bösendorfer Imperial
by Vienna Symphonic Library · Keys · Sampled concert grand piano
Not rated yet
A sampled Bösendorfer Imperial concert grand with its 97-key, eight-octave range, recorded on Stage A of the Vienna Synchron Stage.
It plays in the Vienna Synchron Pianos player with adjustable sympathetic resonance, pedal and key noise, and six main presets from Concert to Mighty.
Best for: Keys & Synths, Acoustic Instruments. Genres: Jazz, Acoustic & Classical, Ambient & Cinematic, Pop.
Keywords: grand piano, sample-based, cinematic, acoustic drums, film & game audio, tube.
What it does
Synchron Bösendorfer Imperial is Vienna Symphonic Library's newer recording of the Viennese concert grand, made on Stage A of the Vienna Synchron Stage. VSL sums it up as "Majestic Tones, Imperial Resonance", pointing to the instrument's full, sonorous sound and its extended bass.
- 97 keys: the full eight-octave range of the Imperial, including its bass extension below the normal low A.
- Close mics: condenser (Sennheiser MKH 8040), ribbon (Royer SF-24) and tube (Neumann M 149).
- Room and 3D mics: two mid pairs (MKH 800 and MKH 8040), a Decca tree in stereo and mono, a main surround pair, and high stereo and high surround 3D pairs.
- Six main mixes: Concert, Intimate, Player, Pop, Ambience and Mighty. The Standard Library has the room mic mix and Decca Tree Multi Mic setups; the Full Library adds Surround and a Surround to Stereo Downmix.
- Noises and resonance: adjustable sympathetic resonance, pedal noise and key noise in the Vienna Synchron Pianos engine.
- Two sizes: Standard Library with 108,025 samples or Full Library with 237,655 samples.
- NKS: works with Komplete Kontrol and Maschine.
The product page lists no demo.
Source: Vienna Symphonic Library product page
When to use it
Synchron Bösendorfer Imperial is the better pick when you want a dark, full classical grand with a real hall and deep tone-shaping controls. Compared with VSL's earlier Vienna Imperial, it records the same model of piano on the Synchron Stage and adds many more mic positions, including surround and 3D. Against Garritan's Abbey Road Studios CFX Concert Grand it sounds heavier and more resonant, with those extra low keys, while the CFX is brighter and recorded in a studio. Pianoteq 9 is modeled rather than sampled from this one instrument.
- Best for: solo classical piano, film scores and slow, expressive parts that use the extended low register.
- Genres: classical, jazz, cinematic and pop ballads.
- Look elsewhere if: you want a bright, modern grand that cuts through a band mix; the Synchron Yamaha CFX suits that better.
- Tip: a VI-Control user warned that stacking several mic positions needs plenty of computer power, so start with one mix preset and add mics only as needed.
What producers say
Users rate its tone very highly, especially for classical solo work; the main caveat is the computer power needed for many mics.
- Gear Gods reviewed the Synchron pianos together and called the Imperial "the best out of the bunch for a variety of classical material", though it named the Steinway D-274 the best single all-round buy.
- VI-Control thread (2022) users called it one of the richest piano tones they had heard; one said "the tweak ability is second to NONE".
- Criticisms: VI-Control users noted that working with several mic positions needs "decent horse power", and that it shines most in solo rather than ensemble contexts.
Where to buy
- Vienna Symphonic Library: $323.62 (Standard Library listed at €285 (Full Library €540); converted at €1 = $1.1355 (ECB rate, 29 Sep 2026))
Tutorials and reviews
- VSL Synchron Pianos: Bösendorfer Imperial - Introduction
- VSL Synchron Boesendorfer Imperial - Walkthrough by Stephen Limbaugh
- VSL BÖSENDORFER IMPERIAL SYNCHRON PIANO REVIEW
- Jordan Rudess plays our Synchron Bösendorfer Imperial
- Playing Synchron Bösendorfer Imperial Piano from Vienna Symphonic Library [No Talking]
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